Tall Spindly Tomato Plants

Young tomato plants are most likely to become spindly.

Nearly every vegetable garden has at least one or two tomato plants that bear unforgettable fruits year after year with some help from their gardeners. When plants are tall and spindly, it's often because they are lacking strong sunlight or have nutritional problems. Fortunately, spindly plants, whether transplants or established vines, are manageable.

Seed Starting Conditions

Improper lighting can lead to leggy seedlings. Often plants started inside are prone to this problem. When you start seedlings indoors, place a florescent light within about 6 inches of the tops of the young plants once they have developed two pairs of true leaves, and slowly move the light upward as the seedlings grow.

Planting Spindly Transplants

Despite your best efforts, seedlings sometimes will get spindly, either because of unexpected rapid growth or because some seedlings received less light than others. In this case, you should plant the leggy seedlings in a trench, gently bending the end of the vines upward and leaving about 25 percent of each plant exposed. Tomatoes can grow roots all along their stems, so this method of planting can actually result in a stronger root system, provided the plant receives enough water and nutrition.

Nitrogen

When a tomato plant receives too much nitrogen from its environment, it starts growing wildly, often putting out lots of new green leaves while vines lengthen. Leaves may be distorted and flowering is often delayed, resulting in a reduced yield. Often, the source of excess nitrogen is animal manure, which can contain excessive amounts of nitrogen before it has completely composted.

Spindly Plant Care

Spindly plants can't be reversed, but by pinching them back and providing them with excellent support, they will be much less prone to damage. If your plants are spindly, switch to a fertilizer with a much lower first number (indicating nitrogen content) in relation to the other numbers; 5-10-10 is often ideal. While your harvest may be diminished, you can compensate for some of the effects of past over-fertilization.